Stem cutting mechanism for tobacco stemming machines



June 12, 1934. c. w. GOOCH, JR

STEM CUTTING MECHANISM FOR TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINES Filed Dec. 19, 1931INVENTOR. Czai omve W GOacZI T/F. BY

A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES STEM CUTTING MECHANISM FOR TOBACCOSTEMIHING MACHINES Claiborne W. Gooch, Jr., Lynchburg, Va., assignor toUnited Cigarette Machine Company, Inc., Lynchburg, Va., a corporation ofVirginia,

Application December 19, 1931, Serial No. 582,150

20 Claims.

The present invention relates to a stem cutting mechanism for a tobaccostemming machine and refers particularly to that type of machine inwhich the stems are pulled through the stemming means progressively andon an angle from one end of the stemming mechanism. A stemming machineof this type is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,301,193.

The object of the present invention is to provide means independent ofthe stemming means whereby each stem will be treated individuallyaccording to its thickness or size and so that all stems will not be cutor broken off at a definite length, as is now common practice, but willcontinue to be withdrawn from the membrane of the leaf until that partof the stem remaining in the leaf is of such a size as is notobjectionable for the purpose for which the tobacco is being prepared.

The invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing, in which likereference characters indicate corresponding parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section of the tobacco stemmingmachine,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View of the machine taken on the line 22 ofFig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the guide with the finger portionsin section,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the guide in modi- 30 fied form,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a further modified guide member, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the shoe portion of Fig. 1 on asomewhat larger scale.

The stemming rolls 1, journalled in frame 2, are provided with blades 3and rotate at the same speed in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 2. Theblades 3, which project substantially radially from rolls 1, havenotches 4 along their outer 40 edges which are so arranged that anuninterrupted helical groove is formed around the rolls 1 and thenotches in one set of blades cooperate with the notches in the otherset. Thus a stem of tobacco 22, caught and held by its butt end in oneof the grippers 5, is moved between the rolls in a direction parallel tothe axes of the rolls, while at the same time the grippers 5 also havean upward movement as they pass through the successive positions a, b,0, etc., Fig. l. The semicircular notches 4 of the several blades holdthe stems in a vertical position and strip the leafy part therefrom asthe grippers 5 move along their upward path.

In a conventional machine of this type the sev- 55 ering of the stems isaccomplished by arresting their lateral movement by means of anadjustable stop. When the stems reach this stop, which may be set at anypoint in the path of the stems, their lateral travel ceases and theyescape from the notches 4 of the blades 5. The straight part of blades 3between the notches 4 is thus brought sharply into contact with andsnaps oil the stems. It is evident that with such a stop all stems arebroken oif or cut at the same length from the grippers 5.

The present invention provides means for arresting the stems at asuccession of points along their lateral path, the point of stopping anystem being controlled directly by its size, that is its thickness andtherefore its length. A large stem will proceed further before it isstopped to be broken than a small one, this selective action beingentirely automatic. I

Supported by the framework of the machine .2 is a member 6 having a faceadjacent the plane of travel of the stems. A belt 7 runs in a groove inthe face of member 6 and around two pulleys 8 and 9 on shafts l0 and 11respectively. Shaft 10 is jounialled in member 6 and is driven by meansof gears 12 and 13 and shaft 14 which is connected to the main drive ofthe machine. The belt 7 travels at a rate equal to the lateral orhorizontal component of the stem travel and in the same direction. A rod15 is fastened at each end to a suitable support on the framework 2 and86 on this rod are pivoted a number of feelers 16 each of which isprovided with a shoe portion 17, Figs. 1 and 6, and. a finger portion18. Spring 19 attached to bar 23 normally holds the shoe 17 in contactwith belt 7, but as the stems progress 90 along their path they glideunder the shoes 17 of the successive feelers 16 causing them to swingaway from the stem path more or less according to the stem thicknesspassing under the shoe.

Attached to the lower part of the member 6 is a notched guid'e bar 20.The outer edge of this guide is positioned to slightly displace thestems from the vertical and cause them to press against it. The guide 20is provided with notches :21, Fig. 2, and these notches may be of anysuitable shape having an opening of suitable size to permit the stem ofthe tobacco leaf to be caught therein when the diameter of the said stemis below any selected or predetermined standard. It is evident that asthe stems slide along the edge of guide 20 they will not enter thenotches until a suitably small sized section of thestem is presented toone of the notches. This will happen earlier or later in the process ofstemming according to the size of the leaf of tobacco and consequentlythe size of the stem. Once caught in a notch the stem cannot continueits lateral movement and is subsequently broken off as the stem of theleaf is brought sharply against the straight part of the blades 3between the notches 4, as ex plained in the foregoing. When the cuttingof the stem is mentioned as in the claims it is to be understood thatthis term includes any snapping,

breaking, or other severing action of the stem of the leaf.

In'order to make the above action more positive the feelers 16 may beused, one feeler cooperating with each notch 4 of the stemming rolls 1.Fig. 3 shows how the finger portion 18 of feelers 16 acts to guide orpush a stem into one of the notches 21 whenever that part of the stemwhich glides under shoe 17 of feeler 16 is not large enough to hold thefinger portion 18 out of the stem path. When the feelers 16 are used incooperation with the notches 21 it will not be necessary for the edge ofthe guide plate 20 to project into the pathway of the stems as is thecase when the guide is used alone;

In Fig. 4 the guide plate has been replaced by a guideZOa which has nonotches therein and thefinger is modified to include a notch as finger18a. In this construction the selection of the stem to be caught iscaused entirely by the size of that part of the stem passing under theshoe 1'7.

' If thisis large the notch in 18a will be held out of the stem path, ifsmall it will be held in the stem path and will catch the stem causingit to be broken. The guide 20a in this case serves only i to keep thestems in a certain path.

. small stems for breaking.

Various parts of the mechanism may be made adjustable so as to set themachine to select stems according to the different sizes required forvarious purposes. For example the guide bar 20 may be made eitherreadily detachable for easy replacement by a similar bar having notchesof a diiferentsize or it may be made so that the notches themselves areadjustable. Also the action of the feelers 16 may be varied either bymounting the rod 15 adjustable relative to the belt [and member 6 or thelatter may be adjustable relative to the feelers 16. It is, however, tobe noted that the guide or grading member or plurality of fingers is nota part of or built into the stemming means or rolls but is entirelyindependent therefrom.

For adaptation to a type of stemming machine in which the stemming meansitself will not break off the stems promptly when their lateral movementarrested, the edges of the notches or the fingers may be made sharp soas to actually sever the stemslwhen they are selected by the abovemechanism.

I claim as my invention:- I

1. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a plurality of stemming rolls;a plurality of grippers for gripping the butt ends of the stems andbeing adaptedto pull the tobacco leaves through the stemming rolls; andmeans adjacent the rolls for causing the stemming rolls to cut the stemsbeing adapted to pull the tobacco leaves through the stemming rolls; anda guide bar adjacent the rolls for causing the stemming rolls to cut thestems of the leaves dependent upon the size of the individual stems.

3. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a plurality of stemming rolls;a plurality of grippers for gripping the butt ends of the stems andbeing adapted to pull the tobacco leaves through the stemming rolls; anda guide bar adjacent the rolls having a plurality of notches therein forcausing the stems of the leaves to be cut by the rolls when the size ofthe individual stem is such that it enters a notch thereof.

4. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a frame; a plurality ofstemming rolls journalled in said frame and each having a helical groovefor the stems of the tobacco leaves; a plurality of grippers forgripping the tobacco leaves and pulling them laterally through thestemming rolls; and a guide member having means therein for causing thestems of the tobacco leaves to move out of the helical groove to therebycause the severing of the stems by the rolls dependent upon the size ofthe individual stems.

5. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a frame; a plurality ofstemming rolls journalled in said frame and each having a helical groovefor the stems of the tobacco leaves; a plurality of grippers forgripping the tobacco leaves and pulling them laterally through thestemming rolls; and a guide bar havinga plurality of notches therein forcausing the stems of the tobacco leaves to move out of the helicalgroove to thereby cause the severing of the stems by I the rolls whenthe stems move into one of the notches dependent upon the size of theindividual stems.'

'6. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a frame; a plurality ofstemming rolls journalled in said frame and each'having a helical groovefor the stems of the tobacco leaves; a plurality of grippers forgripping thetobacco leaves and vpulling them laterally through thestemming rolls; a guide bar having a plurality of notches therein forcausing the stems of the tobacco 7 leaves to move out of the helicalgroove to thereby cause the severing of the stems by the rolls when thestems move into one of the notches dependent upon the size of theindividual stems; and a feeler for each notch of the guide bar in orderto aid the movement of the stems into a notch when the size of the stempermits its entry.

'7. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a frame; a plurality ofstemming rolls journalled in said frame and each having a helical groovefor the stems of the tobacco leaves; a plurality of grippers forgripping the tobacco leaves and pulling them laterally through thestemming rolls; a guide bar having a plurality of notches therein forcausing the stems of the tobacco leaves to move out of the helicalgroove to thereby cause the severing of the stems by the rolls when thestems move into one of the notches dependent upon the size of theindividual stems; a belt arranged in the frame; and a feeler foreach'notch of the guide bar and cooperating with the belt in order toaid the movement of the stems into a notch when the size of the stempermits its entry, said feeler contacting with the stem at the point ofcontact with the belt. 8. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a frame;a plurality of stemming rolls journalled its in said frame and eachhaving a helical groove for the stems of the tobacco leaves; a pluralityof grippers for gripping the tobacco leaves to be pulled laterallythrough the stemming rolls; a guide bar having a plurality of notchestherein for causing the stems of the tobacco leaves to move out of thehelical groove to thereby cause the severing of the stems by the rollswhen the stems move into one of the notches dependent upon the size ofthe individual stems; a belt arranged on pulleys journalled in saidframe and adapted to pass adjacent the stems of the leaves; and aspring-controlled feeler for each notch of the guide bar and cooperatingwith the belt in order to aid the movement of the stems, said feelercontacting with the stems at the point of contact with the belt.

9. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a plurality of stemming rolls;a plurality of grippers for gripping the butt ends of the stems andadapted to pull the tobacco leaves laterally through the rolls; a guideplate for the stems; and a plurality of feelers each having a notchtherein whereby when the size of the stem passing by the guide plate andthe successive feelers becomes a specific size the stem will be retainedin the notch thereby causing the stem to be severed by the stemmingrolls.

10. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a plurality of stemming rolls,a plurality of grippers for gripping the butt ends of the stems andadapted to pull the tobacco leaves laterally through the rolls; and aplurality of feelers each having a shoe portion adapted to contact withthe stems and a notched portion whereby when the size of the stempassing under the shoe becomes a specific size the stem will be retainedin the notch causing the stem to be severed by the stemming rolls.

11. In a tobacco stemming machine, means for cutting the stems of thetobacco leaves; and a guide bar independent of the stemming means of themachine for causing the cutting action dependent upon the size of theindividual stems.

12. In a tobacco stemming machine, means for cutting the stems of thetobacco leaves; a guide bar having notches therein for causing thecutting action when the size of the individual stem is such that itenters a notch of the bar; and a feeler for each notch of the guide barto aid the movement of the stems into a notch when the size of the stempermits its entry.

13. In a tobacco stemming machine having stemming means, a guide bar forthe tobacco stems independent of the stemming means having means forcutting the stems and means for causing the cutting action dependentupon the size of the individual stems.

14. In a tobacco stemming machine having stemming means, a guide bar forthe tobacco stems independent of the stemming means, having means forcutting the stems, the cutting action being dependent upon the size ofthe individual stems.

15. In a tobacco stemming machine having stemming means, means forpulling the leaves through the machine; and means independent of thestemming means for cutting the tobacco stems and for causing the cuttingaction dependent upon the size of the individual stems.

16. In a tobacco stemming machine having stemming means, means forpulling the leaves through the machine; and a plurality of fingers forcutting the tobacco stems dependent upon the size of the individualstems.

17. A guide member for the tobacco stems in tobacco stemming machineshaving a plurality of notches for cutting the tobacco stems dependentupon the size of the individual stems, the guide member beingindependent of the stemming means of the machine.

18. A guide for the tobacco stems in tobacco stemming machinescomprising a bar having a plurality of notches therein for cutting thetobacco stems when the stem enters one of the notches dependent upon thesize of the individual stems, the bar being independent of the stemmingmeans of the machines.

19. A guide for the tobacco stems in tobacco stemming machinescomprising a plurality of fingers each having a notch therein forcutting the tobacco stems when the stem enters one of the notchesdependent upon the size of the individual stems, the bar beingindependent of the stemming means of the machines.

20. A device for causing the cutting of the stems of tobacco leaves intobacco stemming machines having stemming means, comprising a gradingmember for'the stems of the leaves, independent of the stemming means,and having means to cut the stems when the desired size of stem hascoacted with said member.

CLAIBORNE W. GOOCH, JR.

